Leak suggests Radio Shack to slash iPhone 4 prices by $30

According to a new leak, Radio Shack is planning to drop the price of the 16GB and 32GB AT&T iPhone 4 on Sunday to $169.99 and $269.99 respectively, while the price of the 8GB iPhone 3GS is expected to fall to $19.99.

Update: Radio Shack announced the promotion in its weekly ad on Sunday. The ad notes that the $30 off sale for the 16GB iPhone 4 is valid from July 31 through August 6.

Tipsters sent Engadget a leaked photo (below) of what appears to be an internal document for retailer Radio Shack. According to the leak, the new prices, which require a new or upgraded 2 year contract, will take effect on Sunday, July 31.

Early 2-year upgrade customers can purchase the 16GB iPhone 4 for $399.99 and the 32GB model for $499.99. For customers looking to purchase the device without a contract, Radio Shack offers the two models for $749.99 and $849.99.

Meanwhile, a separate rumor claims Target will drop the price of both the 16GB AT&T and Verizon iPhone 4 models to $149.99, also on Sunday. An anonymous tipster told Phone Arena that the 32GB Verizon iPhone 4 will sell for $249.99, while the retailer will continue to sell the 32GB AT&T version for $299.99.

Target is also said to be offering up to a $100 off a new iPhone 4 with a trade-in promotion for the iPhone 4. Unlike the Radio Shack leak, however, the tipster was unable to provide evidence of the upcoming promotion, leaving the report unverified.

Last December, Radio Shack offered an aggressive sale of all its iPhone handsets with a temporary $50 price cut along with trade-in incentives. That sale quickly left the retail chain with a shortage of Apple's smartphone.

Discounts on the iPhone 4 could become increasingly common as Apple's release of the next-generation iPhone nears, especially given the fact that the handset is now over a year old. Numerous reports have suggested that the new device will arrive in mid- to late-September.

Apple has traditionally continued to sell the previous year's model at a discount. A set of photos released earlier this week claimed to show that Apple is working on a lighter, cheaper iPhone 4 revision that could be introduced alongside the so-called iPhone 5.

The next iPhone is believed to be thinner and lighter and include the A5 processor and an 8-megapixel camera.

THey are when you consider that Apple doesn't do discounts EVER, so any price decrease is infinity percent larger than normal.

And yet people don't seem to care about that. Or notice it at all.

+1

People are gonna see Radio Shack's prices as a huge discount and a great deal since it's rare you see iPhones for sale, other than that Walmart deal earlier in the summer when they were giving $50 Walmart gift cards for every iPhone 4 purchase.

The discussions of these price cuts themselves is irrelevant compared to the larger picture, i.e. the indication that the next model is close at hand. I for one have a plastic card at the ready for one

From Apple ][ - to new Mac Pro I've owned them all.Long on AAPL so biased"Google doesn't sell you anything, Google just sells you!"

The discussions of these price cuts themselves is irrelevant compared to the larger picture, i.e. the indication that the next model is close at hand. I for one have a plastic card at the ready for one

I have my Bittorrent client ready to download the next iPhone 5. Should download within 30 minutes

The discussions of these price cuts themselves is irrelevant compared to the larger picture, i.e. the indication that the next model is close at hand. I for one have a plastic card at the ready for one

Yep. They are not going to want dead stock around when the new iPhone hits, which is likely to be the second weekend of Sept. Perhaps the first if Apple is gutsy enough to do it on a holiday. Which is more possible this year since the BTS doesn't involve iPods. However, I think no on the holiday. It's just not Apple's style to risk folks having other plans and not lining up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cvaldes1831

Secondly, Apple does indeed discount. They always have a sale on Black Friday (the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday) with modest discounts on select items.

But not on the iPhones. They argue that the discount is via your contract. Even when you buy a no contract full phone you can't get a discount as a business sale, an Apple Employee or anything else.

A $30 discount from a $299 handset is just over 10%. Prices aren't being "slashed" here.

Anyhow, the monthly contract charges total up to way more than the hardware costs.

Saving thirty dollars over the course of a two-year contract won't even buy you an extra espresso bar drink every month.

Exactly.

Quote:

slash 1 |slaSH|
verb [ with obj. ]
cut (something) with a violent sweeping movement, typically using a knife or sword: a tire was slashed on my car | they cut and slashed their way to the river | [ no obj. ] : the man slashed at him with a sword.informalreduce (a price, quantity, etc.) greatly: the workforce has been slashed by 2,000.

In no universe is a 10% discount a "great" reduction. Even if it's never on sale anywhere.

You can say they "cut" the price or "reduced" the price or whatever. Just not "slash".

A $30 discount from a $299 handset is just over 10%. Prices aren't being "slashed" here.

Anyhow, the monthly contract charges total up to way more than the hardware costs.

Saving thirty dollars over the course of a two-year contract won't even buy you an extra espresso bar drink every month.

Yes, but think about it this way. People are going to have a cell phone regardless. Some people are going to have an iPhone, regardless. That monthly bill will be there no matter what, so if you can save $30 that you normally wouldn't have, while keeping all other costs equal to what they would have been, you still come out ahead.